When I name them I actually don't intend to place anyone in a particular place. Lahm plays where's he's best then bads and hummels in center and boetang on the opposite side... Until the day we find a real top class full back opposite Lahm..
I always believed Boateng was a class center back, and his showings over the last few games for Bayern show that he is. However, he is not the kind of fullback we need. Schmelzer provides much more vigor defensively. He's a natural fullback, though not exquisitely talented, we'll see that over the next few seasons - he'll make that position his own.
I am actually quite worried, as I believe that a 23 man squad wins a tournament. Lately we have had some big names in NT having injuries and it is to see if they all get back into form before the EC. MERTE - even if he would not have played a single game , I definitively would have liked him to be part of the 23 man squad. GOETZE, Schweinie, Khedira, Poldolski - all need to come back and show that they will get back into form. Bayern Players all lack confidence and are all battling with form issues here and there. Especially if Gomez gets in to one of those mental block issues again. Same as Oezil he has had some good games but still shows drop in form every now and then. REUS and Klose seem to be injured quite often and who knows what will happen till the EC. All I am saying is that we can have some serious injuries before the EC and players lacking in form, that loosing some one like MERTE now already is critical. There is a chance you know that we never get past the first round at the EC.
It would be great to find a player opposite Lahm that has the same quality and skill. It would be even better when bads, hummels and boetang battle it out for the 2 spots in the middle. I think we would have a complete team with that. Ofcourse when Klose leaves hopefully will have our strikers situated, hopefully Gomez develops even more, gain that football iq that Klose did over his years.
What about Pander as left fullback?????? He seems to finally have overcome his injuries and showing some good form!
Mertesacker will be fit for the EURO. http://www.transfermarkt.de/de/gute...ndet-em-feinplanung-/news/anzeigen_84067.html
Just being fit for the EURO is not enough. He has to return before May and actually play some meaningful matches for Arsenal. I would not include him in the squad if barely got healthy in time and had not played some matches.
Merte wouldn't be my first choice, but he's far more dependable that most. Let's just hope he's fit so that someone we really don't want to be there ends up on the 'plane to Kiev.
I'd much rather have players who have not suffered substantiation injuries at the end of the season than have Merte come back just before the Euros. Had he been injured earlier and had some sort of playing time at Arsenal before the tournament than yes i would have been all for it, however it looks like he will be only ready for the Euros and i think that is not what the defense needs. Consistency is key in short tournaments.
Trochowski hasn't been in Loew's plans since the World Cup ended so it is a waste of time to talk about him really.
He is a decent player, but he doesn't have boundless energy to cover up defensively, he isn't particularly intelligent with the ball at his feet, not a goalscorer. Isn't pacey like Bale to get past defenders. There is absolutely no reason he be included if younger players like schuerrle, reus and mueller are around.